Blast From The Past Finds - Bonaparte's Gull
Bonaparte's Gull is a species whose fortunes have changed dramatically over the years.
Recurring birds and mobile birds make it difficult to get an accurate read out on their status, but it would seem they approach the level of Ring-Billed Gull if not surpass it in some years.
I was lucky enough to tick this species on my home patch in Dublin, at Swords estuary, where a first winter spent a couple of days.
It certainly imprinted on me that first winter plumage was the more attractive option.
Bonaparte's Gull - first winter - not the Swords bird, instead an individual from Tacumshin, Co. Wexford.
March 6th, 2006, Cuskinny, Cork
My first self found bird came off the back of a spectacular weekend of birding.
On the 5th I headed north out of Cork city bound for Kilcolman reserve. A Tundra Bean Goose, at the the time the first for Cork, had been seen just outside the reserve and with other potential birding to be had in the area I figured that was as good an area to work as any.
I started out at Mallow Sugar Lagoons, as the reserve would not be accessible for a couple of hours, and was delighted to find a male Ring-Necked Duck in one of them. An excellent start to the day!
I then moved on to Kilcolman, finding the goose in a field among Greylags on the east side of the reserve. The bird gave good views for an extended period. The warden at the time, Mike Hirst, then invited me into the reserve hide. Having never been there before, I accepted and no less than 5 seconds after setting up my scope I was looking at my one and only self found American Black Duck!
Black Duck - Robert Vaughan - Primo Findage
After such an amazing day's birding, I retired to Fionnbarra pub in Cork for well deserved pints and arranged to take Sean Ronayne up to see all these birds (all ticks for him) the following day.
Sunday we did the rounds around Mallow again, seeing the Ring-Necked, Tundra Bean Goose and Black Duck again.
Returning south, I drove down to Cuskinny marsh, Cobh to drop Sean off home.
Parked up in the beach carpark, Sean asked to use my phone to call home for a lift.
Whilst he was calling, I stepped out to scan the beach with my bins. Straight away I picked up a lovely adult Bonaparte's Gull sat on the beach!
I opened the door and hurriedly told Sean to get off the phone quick whilst I set up my scope. The bird remained on the beach and obliged me with excellent views.
After a minute, I realized Sean was nowhere to be seen. He was still sat in the care, staring glumly ahead.
I opened the door again and said "what are ya doing? There's a Bony's Gull here for ya!"
He then hopped out and got his fourth lifer of the day as I laughed.
What a weekend!
Inch, Co. Kerry
My second self found bird occurred during another excellent weekend of birding.
Working the area from Blackrock west to the Single peninsula, I was happily digging out plenty of birds, including Buff-Breasted Sandpiper, Semi-P, Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-Tailed Skua, Wilson's Petrel, Ring-Necked Duck and, of course a lovely Bonaparte's Gull.
Pectoral Sandpiper
It was a pleasure to pull up on the beach at Inch, after such a successful haul and find this beauty of a Bony's splashing around the surf with a flock of Black-Headed Gull.
Bonaparte's Gull - Kerry
I think perhaps the most flabbergasting aspect of the weekend was, however, checking the messages from an English birder who had been birding Kerry that same weekend and knew I had been down there, telling me "how quiet Kerry had been".
Ummm. Nope.
10th January, 2010. Cuskinny
Back to Cork and Cuskinny for my 3rd self found bird. Coming back from a Christmas spent in Dublin, that first weekend birding was very cold, part of the "Beast from the East" that winter, which made it tough just getting around safely.
There were so decent numbers of gulls around the county at that time, and after enjoying the morning along the coast of east Cork, seeing Ring-Billeds and white-wingers, I made my way down to Cuskinny on the way back to Cork city.
It was quite surprising to see the lake mostly iced over, with gulls congregating on the limited open water.
As well as a Ring-Billed Gull present, as would have been expected hack then, I was delighted to pick up a pair of pink legs standing on the ice as I scanned with my bins.
This bird hung around a few weeks allowing several birders to catch up with it.
Bonaparte's Gull - Ice, Ice baby
January 15th, 2011, Cobh.
The Great Island Bird Race. This one was a stand out memory for me.
Standing on Kennedy pier, waiting for the start, and enquiring as to the intricacies of the rules, I asked Mark Carmody about the rule (quite different to the Dublin Bird Race) of having to report rarities of certain levels.
Asking where that line was, I asked "For example, would Bonaparte's Gull qualify for reporting" and was told no.
2 minutes after the starting whistle, I was looking at a self found adult Bonaparte's Gull in near twilight at the pilot boat camber, in the company of my team mates. And I was laughing.
Needless to say, we did not report it. 😉 And no other team connected with it.
The bird did hang around in subsequent weeks to allow for twitchers to connect though and for Rónán McLaughlin to nab these shots.
Bonaparte's Gull - Rónán McLaughlin - a stunning bird!
Oh...and we won that bird race...3 years in a row. 😎
12th of January, 2012, Lough Mahon.
My fiftg self found Bonaparte's was again in Cork. Nothing exceptional numbers of gulls along the exposed mud along the Lough Mahon walk, I pulled off the Cork Ring road and began a trek along the shoreline. As the evening drew in, more and more gulls appeared, feeding over the water, and a stunning 1st winter made it's way through the flock, lingering for a few minutes before making it's way towards Blackrock castle. It was a great feeling to finally find a 1st winter!
Oued Sous, Morocco, 2023
Birding the coast around Agadir at the end of an enjoyable trip to Morocco, I was looking forward to a couple of days more relaxed birding focused on spending time searching for stuff of our own as opposed to driving between sites for the "target species".
Pulling up the Oued Sous estuary on the south side of Agadir, we were suitably impressed with the massive numbers of birds present and devoted time to sifting through them and just enjoying the incredible mix.
Whilst scanning up stream from the bridge I picked out an adult Lesser Yellowlegs for my trouble. 😍
It was quite distant, and it was windy, so we decided to try and walk up to it through the park, but as we neared the area, someone walked into the dump area on the opposite side of the river and flushed up everything (including a Citrine Wagtail, which was another good find).
Having no luck relocating the legs, we mooched back to the bridge in the hopes it had made it's way to the other side.
Scanning the flats again, I noticed a flock of Black-Headed Gull and Slender-Billed gulls on a small island and there, in the middle of them, a bright bubble gum pink pair of legs!
A beautiful first winter Bonaparte's Gull!
My dad thought I was going nuts after having just found a Lesser Yellowlegs and a Citrine, but the bird gave good views.
Bonaparte's Gull - Oued Sous - No. This shot is not AI (sad that we have to say things like that these days), the gull on the left really is missing a foot.
A fantastic end to a great trip, find three national megas in the same 100 meter stretch of river!
I fell in love with that place and said to myself I could easily retire in that area. An absolute gem.
Ya gotta love Bony's Gulls!
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